Page 103 of Counter Bet

A soft knock interrupts our moment. I sniffle, wiping my nose as we break apart.

Rick stands in the doorway, shuffling awkwardly. “Your dad let me in. I can come back if this is a bad time?” he says, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.

Mom smiles at me before rising from the bed. “It’s okay. I think Emily can do with a friend right now.” She squeezes his arm affectionately and leaves the room.

When the door is closed, Rick joins me on the bed. “I returned your car.” He holds his spare key out, and I put it down on my bedside table. Now that we’re not dating anymore, there is no need for him to have a spare key if I lose mine. “Do you want to talk about what happened last night?”

I lean my head on his shoulder, breathing in his familiar and comforting smell.

He wraps his arm around me.

“Just sit with me, please.”

He kisses the top of my head. “I can do that.”

I trace the veins on his tanned hand and thread my fingers through his. “Where will you be next year?”

He rests his chin on the top of my head, and for a moment, I don’t think he’ll answer me as we sit in silence. “Penn State is interested in me,” he replies almost reluctantly.

I straighten. “But that’s in Pennsylvania.”

He doesn’t reply. I feel the heat of his hand when he places it on my knee, squeezing it before shifting us onto the bed. We still don’t talk.

I’m lying with my head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. “Everything is changing,” I whisper after a while when the silence becomes too much.

Rick hums deeply in his chest, stroking my arm absentmindedly.

It’s a strange realization that the friends I’ve known my whole life are going their separate ways. Even Rick, who I always assumed would stay close, is moving thousands of miles away.

I prop my chin on his chest, trailing my eyes over the planes of his face.

His smile is tender. “You’re going to be okay, Em.”

My eyes fall closed, and I smile softly as he traces his fingers up my arm. Who knows what the future has in store for us all, but I refuse to worry about tomorrow. “You better remember me when you’re a famous footballer.” I rest my cheek back down his hard chest.

He chuckles. “Trust me, Em. I’ll never forget you.”

Something tells me this is one of the last times Rick and I will be alone together like this. Life is about to send us down different paths. Everything is about to change, but we’ll be okay.

* * *

Dallas.

“I checked everywhere,” Matt says when he joins us behind the bleachers.

Nina hands him the joint.

I scroll through my phone for the hundredth time. Why hasn’t Emily replied to any of our messages?

“She’ll come to us when she’s ready,” Steph says. “She’s definitely at school. Nina saw her arrive with Rick this morning.”

“Fucking Rick,” Ben mutters, kicking at the dirt with his already scuffed vans.

Josh rubs his face. “What are we going to do?”

Matt passes me the joint. I take a big hit, holding it in my lungs. My eyes land on Ben. He rarely shows emotions, but he’s on the verge of snapping right now.

I sigh, passing the joint to Josh next to me. “It’s my fault.”

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